Created to promote good practices along the agrifood supply chain, Supply Chain Initiative celebrates its first year of operations with the presentation of its first annual report. A stock take of the situation and an incentive to continue with the actions and welcome new members.

The industry associations and companies participating in SCI sign a commitment to implement correct practices vis-a-vis all players in the agrifood supply chain, from farmers to end distributors. 14 months from its launch, 164 groups representing 860 companies have signed such commitments, including the big retail chains Lidl, Sisa, Carrefour and Auchan, as well as the multinationals Ferrero, Coca Cola, Nestle and Unilever.

Registered companies are invited to participate in an annual survey to verify that the commitments have been fulfilled. The first survey has revealed that 18 thousand employees have been trained, and among these nearly four out of ten used the SCI e-learning. Participant satisfaction of is high at 73%.

The General Manager of EuroCommerce, Christian Verschuere, commented: “We believe that voluntary compliance is the right way. SCI ensures that good practices filter down from Brussels to company management and to sellers and buyers. It is a system that offers a cost-effective, rapid and less antagonistic mechanism to promote good practices as the basis for commercial relations and company progress”.

What is meant by “good practices” is explained in the document just published. Among these, we find transparency of every part of the contract, including any penalties, which presupposes that they are written and agreed between the parties in advance, the provision of important information to the other party and the use of terms and conditions in contracts which facilitate activities and contain fair clauses.